Free from the law of Sin and Death | Romans 8:2

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death

Before covering Chapters 6, 7 and 8 of ‘Romans’ it’s recommended that you first read ‘Subject to the Power of the Law’. That study reviews the context of chapter 5 and the first half of chapter 6, and will greatly aid in the continuity of the following chapters.

Let’s take a look at what the Apostle Paul says, in context, about our former ‘bondage’ and ‘slavery’, and what we’ve been ‘freed from in Christ’.

What does the text say?

Romans 6:6 so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Romans 6:12Let notsin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sinwhichleadstodeath, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

John8:34Jesusanswered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God, that you who wereonceslaves of sin…

Romans 6:18 and, having been set free from sin…

Romans 6:19 For just as youonce presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness…

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin.

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sinAND have become slaves of God…

Revelation 1:5Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.

Paulsaid, it was from our bondage to sin that we have been freed; it was sin that held us in servitude, in slavery.

According to Romans 6:16 above, the Apostle Paul claimed there are only two types of slaves on earth. One is the person who serves the Creator, God Almighty, and is a slave of obedience which leads to righteousness. The other is the person who is a slave to sin, which leads to death (v.16).Those are Paul’s own words! Those are the only two options available to us in our lifetime, at least according to the Apostle Paul.

Paul clearly stated, we were slaves of sin, with sin having dominion over us. We were in bondage to our sin, and subject to the power of the Law to condemnus guilty of our sin; separating us from God (again, please read ‘Subject to the Power of the Law’). However, because of the redeeming blood of the Messiah, IF we have confessed our sins AND repented, then we have forgiveness for those past sins because we are now subject to the power of the grace of God. THEN, we can have reconciliation with the Almighty, and the opportunity of servingHim(v.22) without that condemnation.

What did Paul say in verse 22 above; we “have been set free from sin”; he did not say Law, as so many errantly teach. There is NOT one verse in the entirety of the Scriptures that says ‘we have been freed from the Law of God given through Moses’; not one!

In fact, Paul stated ~

Romans 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? Bynomeans!

We have been, and still are being taught wrong by mainstream theology!

Read Romans 6:22 again, out loud ~

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been setfreefromSINand have become slaves of God…

We are no longer under the dominion, captivity, bondage of ‘our sin’. We also are no longer condemned for those past sins. We are now pardoned, and in Messiah we are set free from the dominion ofsin in our lives! THAT, is what we’ve been “saved” from by the blood of Messiah! He ransomed us, bought our freedom, and “delivered” us from the slavery and captivity to our sin. Hallelu-Yah!!!

However, we are notfree to continuein that sin, as Paul repeatedly reminded us ~

Romans 6:1-2 1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Should we continue in the sin that created the need for Jesus to die? Should we go back and continue in that sin now that we’ve been freed/delivered/saved from it’s dominion over us? The Apostle Paul just said, ‘NO WAY’!

In context, the two verses rightbefore Romans 6:1-2 is as follows ~

Romans 5:20-2120Now, thelaw came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul said thelaw of God came in to “increase/augment” sin, to define for us what sin is, and ‘to show’ how terrible it is. When Jesus died on the cross bearing the sins of the world, “sinning” was breaking thelaw of God given through Moses. That is “the sinning” that Paul rhetorically asks in Romans 6:1, “shall we continue in sin?” Paul said that we should notcontinue in the sin he just mentioned two verses earlier in 5:20. He stated we should notcontinuein the sin “increased/augmented” by thelaw.

The word “continue” in the Greek is G1961 ἐπιμένωμεν/epimenōmen which Thayer’s Greek lexicon states to mean: ‘to persevere’, ‘continue’; with the dative of the thing continued in.

By using the word “epimenomen” Paul is stating that the sin of Romans 5:20 (breaking thelaw of God given through Moses) is the exact sin that we are not to “continue” in. This is basic grammar, as well as, continuity of context.

Think logically, not emotionally.

The “Sin“ that thelaw of Moses “increased/augmented” from Romans 5:20, is the “Sin“ we are “not to continue in” from Romans 6:1; Period. Therefore, Paul unequivocally instructed us to notcontinue breaking thelaw of God given through Moses; which he defined as sinning in the priorsentence!

How did Paul know what sin was?

What does the text say?

Romans 3:20 for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 7:7I would not have known sin except through the law.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

The ‘sins’ that Jesus bore for everyone on the cross did not magically change. Jesus did not die carrying ‘Mosaic-Law-sins’ for King David, and ‘non-Mosaic-Law-sins’ (as if that were a real thing) for you and me. That is completely un-Scriptural and illogical. There is not one Scripture that changes God’s definition of sin. The mainstream fallacy of “ceremonial-Laws” and “moral-Laws” is man-made-dogma, and those “terms” are found nowhere in any verse, anywhere in the Scriptures. The sins that they/we were in bondage to, are the same sins that have always been; the sins defined by God’s Instructions/Laws that He gave through Moses. Otherwise, God Almighty is a respecter of persons AND He changes.

So, if we’ve been set free from the dominion of sin, what did Paul say that we should do now?

Romans 6:18-19,2218And having been set free from sin,you became slaves of righteousness. 19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness,so NOWpresent your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.… 22But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have yourfruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Here in verses 18, 19 and 22 Paul told us that we are to nowbe righteous, which leads to our holiness/sanctification, that is, our being set apart as God’s people. Do you see how he contrasted ‘righteousness’ with ‘lawlessness’, as well as, ‘slavery-to-sin’ with ‘slavery-to-righteousness’? Righteousness is the opposite of lawlessness, therefore righteousness is equal to being lawful!

Think logically, not emotionally.

If we are ‘slaves-to-righteousness’, we are obedient to the Law of God. As bond-servants of God, we show our love, allegiance and faithfulness by obeying His instructions, right rulings and just decrees. It has nothing to do with trying to be “justified”, but everything to do with us ‘presenting ourselves’ to God as slaves to righteousness; at least according to the Apostle Paul.

In verse 19 above, the word “present” in the Greek G3936 is παραστήσατε/parastēsate and is an Accusative Verb that Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states to mean: ‘to presentor show’, with an accusative of the quality which the person or thing exhibits.

Now that we have been set free from our slavery to sin (which is lawlessness), Paul commanded us to ‘exhibit ourselves’, to present ourselves obedient slaves to righteousness (lawfulness). This is an ‘action of demonstration’ that Paul stated that we must do“if“ we are in Christ; notfor justification, but for righteousness (please read “Justification vs. Righteousness” to learn the difference between the two).

This ‘demonstration of righteousness‘, Paul called it our ‘fruit’ (of righteousness), and he said it leads to our sanctification/holiness, which in turn leads to our eternal life, Romans 6:22 above; also, please read the study, ‘Salvation vs. Eternal Life‘.

Paul is consistently taken out of context, misquoted and misinterpreted regarding this topic of “bondage”, “captivity” and “slavery”. We have been misled and/or misinformed for a very long time. Paul never said that we were set free from the Law of God given through Moses. Paul never maligned or denigrated the Law of Moses.

In fact, Paul showed pride for, and devotion towards the Law ~

What does the text say?

Romans 2:20 having in thelaw the embodiment of knowledge and truth— (see ‘What is Truth?‘)

Romans 7:12 So thelaw is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Romans 7:22 For I delight in thelaw of God, in my inner being,

Romans 7:25 So then, I myself serve thelaw of God with my mind

Romans 8:7-97For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Paul not only told us tobe righteous, but he also demanded that we are not to return to the bondage and slavery of our sin ~

Galatians 4:3 In the same way we also, when we were children, wereenslaved to the elementary principles of the world…

Galatians 4:8-98Formerly,when you did not know God, you were enslavedto those that by nature are not gods. 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?…

Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Please read ‘Freedom or Bondage‘)

Ephesians 2:1-21And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves wereonce foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Psalm 130:7-8 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Hosea 13:14 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;I shall redeem them from Death.O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

Next, let’s take the time to read Paul in context regarding the ‘law of sin and death’. Mainstream theology teaches that the ‘Law of God’ is the same as the ‘law of sin and death’, so let’s see if that’s what the text actually says.

Paul himself fought against ‘the flesh’ in order to try and keep from sinning. He called it “another law“, different from the Law of God that he actually delighted in! These are 2 completely different “laws” that Paul himself explains if we read the verses ‘in context’.

In same sentence that Paul told us that he ‘delighted’ in the Law of God given through Moses, he called the ‘law of sin’ “another law” and this law ‘dwelt in his members‘, his flesh; proving they are not the same thing.

What does the text say?

Romans 7:22-23,2522For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members… 25So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

The “Law” that Paul mentioned throughout ‘Romans’ (and all of his letters), as coming from God Almighty has only, ever been the ‘Law of Moses’. The ‘law of sin and death’ is a completely different law that Paul introduced in chapter 7 of his ‘Romans’ commentary for the very first time, in order to show us that it is our ‘obedienceto sin that leads to our death‘.

How did the apostle Paul know about this ‘other law’? Having studied at the feet of Gamaliel, he knew the Word of God, “the Scriptures”, better than anyone.

What does the text say? ~

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

‘Cause and Effect’ defined by God; “thelawofsinanddeath“.

What about Paul’s contemporary, head of the Jerusalem Council and brother of our Messiah; what did he have to say on this subject?

James 1:14 -1514But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forthdeath.

Let’s take a quick step back to see what Paul said about the Law of God given through Moses, and it’s requirements?

What does the text say?

Romans 2:14-1514For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They showthat the work ofthe law is written on their hearts

Paul states that those who do “what the law requires” show/present/prove that thelaw is written on their hearts. This is a direct quote from Jeremiah and the prophecy about the “new” covenant ~

Jeremiah 31:31,3331“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the “house of Israel” and the “house of Judah”… 33For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Paul then told us that the law is not sin, but that it defines what sin is. Paul informed us in the Future Tense that the Law tells us how we are to know what sin is… again, in the Greek, this in Paul’s Future Tense! ~

Romans 7:7a What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been forthelaw, I would not have known sin.

Then Paul claimed the Law of God is Holy, Righteous and Good. Pretty self-explanatory ~

Romans 7:12 So thelaw is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Thelaw can never be unholy or unrighteous or bad, or Paul would be a liar and a hypocrite.

Romans 7:14 For we know that thelaw is G4152spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

The ‘Law being Spiritual‘ does notmean that the Law of Moses was somehow transformed into a random, esoteric apparition that’s magically endowed upon us. In this sentence, Paul was comparing the ‘Law‘, to the ‘Flesh‘. One is Godly, one is Carnal; one is Divinely-Inspired, and the other one is sold-under-sin.

The Greek for ‘spiritual‘ that Paul used is G4152 πνευματικός/pneumatikos, which Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states as: divinely inspired, and so redolent (reminiscent) of the Holy Spirit; emanating from the Divine Spirit, or exhibiting its effects and so its character.

The Law being “Spiritual” is not something new to the ‘New’ Testament, as mainstream theology errantly teaches. Paul was just explaining the difference between the Law of God and the carnal flesh; that they are at enmity with each other.

Paul also stated, in his Present Tense, that the Law of God was his delight, in his inner-being, his inward man; and he servedthe Law of God with his mind ~

Romans 7:22,2522For I delightin the law of God, in my inner being… 25So then, I myself servethe law of God with my mind

Next, we see the of ‘law of sin’ contrasted to the ‘Law of God’ that Paul delighted in and served ~

Romans 7:13 Did that which is good [the Law of God v.12], then, bring death to me? By no means!It was sin producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin

It is ‘sin’ that brought death, not the Law, so says the Apostle Paul. The Law gives us the “definition” of sin and shows how bad it really is (Romans 5:20 above), but it is “sin” that kills us. The two verses prior to Romans 7:13 reveal this ~

Romans 7:11-1211For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

According to Paul, sin which is defined by the commandment, seized him. Sins dominion over him, killed him. ‘Sin leads to death’; ‘THATFACT‘is the “law of sin and death”.

‘Sin leads to death’, that is “a law” unto itself. Period.

Paul stated that his flesh was sold under sin and that he often did what he didn’t want to do ~

Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Here it is again, the seconddifferent law…

Romans 7:21-2321So I find it to be ‘alaw‘ that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members“another law“ waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Did you catch that? Paul professed that he delighted in the Law of God with his inner-being, but “another” law lies close at hand in his members “waging war with the Law of God” in his mind. That other law, the one that’s at war with the Law of God, Paul called that “the law of sin”. These two laws are not the same law, at least according to the Apostle Paul.

What Law did Paul serve with his inner-being and his mind?

What different law did his flesh serve?

What does the text say?

Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, butwith my flesh I servethe law of sin.

Two different laws, one good and one evil. One sentence later Paul reiterates that one ‘good’ law leads to life and the other ‘evil’ law leads to death.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death

The ‘law of sin and death’ is not the ‘Law of God’ as so many tragically teach.

Paul then deliberately reminds these Roman believers (and us) that those who live by the flesh, and thereby obey the ‘law of the sin and death’, those people are hostile to God ‘because’ they do not submit to the Law of God. Paul blatantly stated in his Present Tensethat those who do not submit to the Law of God cannot please God. ~

Romans 8:7-87For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’slaw; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Those that live in the flesh, in sin, are hostile to God ‘because’ that person does not submit to God’s Law. That person, the one that does not submit to the Law of God, cannot please God! So says Paul…

Final Thought: We have been freed from our slavery to sin; we’ve been “saved” from our prior bondage to sin which leads to death. We are no longer under sins dominion, separated from God. Now we all have to choose; we either submit to God’s Law, or go back to our slavery to sin. Choose this day whom you will serve…

For further study of Paul’s teachings, as well as the original Greek, please see the ‘Page Links’ at the top of this page or blog posts at the bottom. Be a Berean, and test Paul’s doctrines to the “Scriptures”. Please‘share’thisstudy. Thank you for your time!

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Published by Richard L. Wheeler

I'm taking responsibility for my own beliefs, by testing the doctrines that I was taught to the whole Word of God; 2 Corinthians 13:5. Let me be clear, my belief in Jesus, God-in-the-flesh, and His redeeming blood is what justifies me. I love Jesus, my King and Redeemer, and I am his bond-servant; I am not my own, I have been bought with a price. This blog is dedicated to examining the scriptures, in context, specifically those of the apostle Paul. It's a "scriptural apologetics" for Paul living out and teaching the Law of God given through Moses. The Law, God's Instructions, do not save nor were they designed to. The Almighty's Righteous Instructions are the 'Way' He wants His chosen, set-apart people to live; and they are forever, as I will let the Scriptures prove.
View all posts by Richard L. Wheeler

Hyper-Grace essentially teaches the following points, all of which are unscriptural:

1. All past, present, and future sins of the believer have already been forgiven.
2. God doesn’t convict believers of sin.
3. Believers don’t need to repent when they knowingly sin.
4. It’s wrong to address sin in the life of a believer because it makes them “sin conscience.”

These are all false doctrines that contradict every teaching of the apostle Paul, not to mention his Master Jesus.

The man-made dogma of “Hyper-grace” is designed to deceive the masses into believing that their “okay” with God no matter what they do, in order to lure the masses back time and time again for their “no-responsibility-feel-good-fix”.

There are scores and scores of Scriptures that destroy this false doctrine that “hyper-grace” somehow negates our need to worry about sin and repentance; here are just a few:

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!

Romans 6:16 you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Is Israel grafted into the gentiles/nations or are the gentiles/nations grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel? | Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11-12; Jeremiah 11:16

Search for:

“So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good… For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being… So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind” | Paul

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous.” | Paul

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you”… “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” | God Almighty

“Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! May it neverbe, on the contrary, we uphold the law.”| Paul

“Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” | God Almighty

“Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.” | James speaking to the Apostle Paul

It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. | God the Son

‘Paul Commands Us to Uphold the Law’, ‘Examining the Scriptures’, ‘Is Christ the End-ing of the Law?’, and ‘You Yourself Also Live in Observance of the Law’ can be now be seen on my YouTube Channel, “A Paulogetic”.

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